I’m sure there will be some who will recognise the nameplate in the picture. It is, of course, a picture of the nameplate of the LNER locomotive ‘Flying Scotsman’ as seen at the Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough. On my day off this week, I was privileged to visit the footplate of this famous locomotive. Railway enthusiasts will be aware of its achievements, and why it is so important to be preserved for future generations. Many years ago, I was privileged to stand in the same place on its footplate when it visited Fenny Stratford station whilst on tour in the UK.
With the locomotive so close to home, it was too good an opportunity to miss, to see her up close again. Sometimes opportunities only come once, and we have to grab those opportunities when they come our way. There are a number of stories in the New Testament of the Bible when Jesus encounters people as he travels the countryside preaching and teaching the people. Some of these meetings happened by chance, and the opportunity to meet with Jesus may never have occurred again. Some rejected the call of Jesus, but others took the opportunity to follow him, realising that the things he taught were in keeping with God’s commands.
As we are now in the season of Lent, there is an opportunity to meet with Jesus, and decide to follow him by keeping to his teaching. We move towards Easter knowing that Jesus died and rose again for all people. I hope that you choose to grasp this opportunity through Lent and Easter.
With God’s love and blessings.
Revd Graham
